PRC: Travel from Mainland to Taiwan Not Country-to-Country Trip

A mainland tourism official on Sunday blamed the Taiwan authorities for putting obstacles in the way of mainland tourists who want to visit Taiwan.

The Chinese mainland removed the travel ban on mainland residents to Taiwan in May 2005, in order to expand people-to-people contacts and help boost Taiwan’s tourism industry.

Since October 2006, non-governmental tourism organizations on the mainland and in Taiwan have conducted five rounds of talks and reached consensus on major technical issues.

“But the consultation process was hindered by the Taiwan authorities, which led to sharp differences on certain issues between the negotiators,” Shao Qiwei, director of China’s National Tourism Administration, said at the closing ceremony of a two-day cross-strait forum. The mainland has showed great flexibility and offered many practical solutions, Shao said. “But the suggestions that the mainland put forward during the fifth round of consultations have so far received no feedback.”

“It is clear to all that the mainland should not be blamed for the failure to open Taiwan-bound tourist routes to mainland residents,” Shao said. The official said the mainland will continue to show the greatest sincerity and do its best to solve the issue.

“But it must be pointed out that mainland residents traveling to Taiwan are not taking country-to-country trips,” he said. Shao said he hoped the Taiwan authorities will “follow the will of the people and adopt a practical and positive attitude” in solving the remaining problems relating to cross-strait travel.

“If the Taiwan authorities sincerely support the consensus reached between non-governmental tourism organizations on both sides of the strait, Taiwan routes for mainland tourists can soon be up and running,” he said.

Gee…“not country-to-country” eh? Let’s check out the website for the PRC Consulate in Chicago and see if it says anything about traveling to Taiwan. NOPE. There’s information on visas for Hong Kong and Macao but nothing on Taiwan. Hmmmmm… I wonder why that is. Is it possible that the all knowing Chinese Communist Party is wrong?! This can’t be!!

How can the PRC expect to resolve its problems with Taiwan with that kind of attitude? It’s granted and understood where they stand regarding the one-China policy, but the PRC should at least have the decency of showing some respect to the Taiwanese government if they sincerely wish to “improve ties.” Like it or not, the two governments are equals in all respect and for the PRC to continue to “negotiate” in such a manner simply isn’t all that productive. What’s even more ridiculous is that they even went as low as to push all the blame onto Taiwan. Now there you have it. The world’s up and coming “superpower.”

The PRC insists that its citizens should not be required to use their passports when entering Taiwan but should instead be equipped with a “Entry Permit” issued by the Taiwanese government and a separate “Mainland Chinese, Taiwan Travel Pass” issued by the PRC. Now let’s look at the reverse situation. When Taiwanese tourists visit China, their ROC passports are not recognized and are required to use a “Taiwanese, Mainland Travel Pass” issued by the PRC government. Not a single demand was made on Taiwan’s part. In this respect, the Taiwanese government treated the PRC government with respect, chose not to challenge its sovereignty over Mainland China and stuck to the 1992 Consensus of “one-China, different interpretations.” So why can’t the PRC do the same? Is mutual respect too much to ask for?